Key Facts

Overview

Nankivell is a large asteroid orbiting between Mars and Jupiter in the main portion of the asteroid belt. NASA JPL has not classified Nankivell as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.

Nankivell orbits the sun every 1,930 days (5.28 years), coming as close as 2.68 AU and reaching as far as 3.38 AU from the sun. Nankivell is about 18.1 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the city of Philadelphia.

The rotation of Nankivell has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 7.17 hours.

No Close Approaches

Nankivell's orbit is 1.67 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that there is an extremely wide berth between this asteroid and Earth at all times.

Orbital simulations conducted by NASA JPL's CNEOS do not show any close approaches to Earth.

Images and Observations

Nankivell's orbit is determined by observations dating back to June 28, 1976. It was last officially observed on June 10, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 3,893 observations used to determine its orbit.

Accessibility and Exploration

This asteroid is not considered a viable target for human exploration by the NHATS study.

Similar Objects

These objects have orbits that share similar characteristics to the orbit of Nankivell:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 3.031 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.115
  • Inclination: 8.99°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 344.91°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 356.39°
  • Mean Anomaly: 238.42°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 18.08000 km
  • Magnitude: 12.81
  • Albedo: 0.0493

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,930 days (5.28 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 17.09 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.38 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 2.68 AU
  • Rotation Period: 7.17 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of Nankivell is indicated by a ◯ pink circle. Note that the object may not be in your current field of view. Use the controls below to adjust position, location, and time.